System and Method for Device Playback Calibration

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for device playback calibration. In one example, a calibration device with a microphone and signal processor may detect audio content rendered by a playback device. The calibration device may transmit the detected audio content to a processing unit configured to determine an equalization setting for optimal playback of the playback device based on the received detected audio content and a relative distance and direction between the playback device and the calibration device. The calibration device may further be configured to modulate the detected audio content before transmitting the detected audio content to the processing unit to accommodate for a limited frequency range of the processing unit. In this case, the processing unit may demodulate the received signal prior to determining the equalization setting. The processing unit may then transmit the determined equalization setting to the playback device according to a wireless communication protocol.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure is related to consumer goods and, more particularly, tosystems, products, features, services, and other items directed to mediaplayback or some aspect thereof.

BACKGROUND

Technological advancements have increased the accessibility of musiccontent, as well as other types of media, such as television content,movies, and interactive content. For example, a user can access audio,video, or both audio and video content over the internet through anonline store, an internet radio station, a music service, a movieservice, and so on, in addition to the more traditional avenues ofaccessing audio and video content. Beyond the increased accessibility ofmusic content, demand for high quality rendering of music content forthe user to enjoy anytime, everywhere has also increased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, aspects, and advantages of the presently disclosed technologyare better understood with regard to the following description, appendedclaims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1A shows an illustration of an example system in which embodimentsof the methods and apparatus disclosed herein can be implemented;

FIG. 1B shows an illustration of a second example system in whichembodiments of the methods and apparatus disclosed herein can beimplemented;

FIG. 2A shows an illustration of an example zone player having abuilt-in amplifier and speakers;

FIG. 2B shows an illustration of an example zone player having abuilt-in amplifier and connected to external speakers;

FIG. 2C shows an illustration of an example zone player connected to anA/V receiver and speakers;

FIG. 3 shows an illustration of an example controller;

FIG. 4 shows an internal functional block diagram of an example zoneplayer;

FIG. 5 shows an internal functional block diagram of an examplecontroller;

FIG. 6 shows an illustrative flow diagram of an example method fordevice playback calibration;

FIG. 7A shows an internal function block diagram of an examplecalibration microphone device;

FIG. 7B shows an illustrative flow diagram of an example method fordevice playback calibration by an example calibration microphone;

FIG. 8A shows an illustrative signal flow diagram of an examplemicrophone device for playback calibration;

FIG. 8B shows a series of example audio content signals transmittedwithin the calibration microphone device; and

FIG. 8C shows a series of illustrative audio signals for device playbackcalibration in the time domain and the frequency domain.

In addition, the drawings are for the purpose of illustrating exampleembodiments, but it is understood that the present disclosure is notlimited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Overview

Listening to audio content (e.g., music, talk radio, books, the audiofrom television, etc.) out loud may be a social activity that involvesfamily, friends, or both. For example, in a household, people may playmusic out loud at parties and other social gatherings. In such anenvironment, people may wish to play the music in multiple listeningzones simultaneously, such that the music in each listening zone may besynchronized, without audible echoes or glitches. Such an experience maybe further enriched when people may browse audio sources, add a musictrack to a playback queue, learn more about a music track (such as tracktitle or track artists), or view what music track is next in theplayback queue. Listening to audio content out loud may also be anindividual experience. For example, an individual may play music outloud for themselves in the morning before work, in the evening duringdinner, or at other times throughout the day at home, work, or on theroad. For these individual experiences, the individual may choose toeither use headphones, or limit the out loud playback of audio contentto a single zone or area.

In the case the user is listening to audio content out loud, theperformance of an audio system may noticeably depend on an acousticbehavior of a room or area. As such, within each listening zone, thelistening experience of the user may be further enriched by adjustingplayback volumes and equalizations such that the listening experience isoptimized at certain locations within the listening zone. For instance,in a home theater listening zone, the audio playback may be optimizedspecifically for people sitting on couch in front of a television andenjoying a movie. In another instance, in a porch or backyard listeningzone, the audio playback may be optimized such that everyone in thevicinity may enjoy a comparable listening experience.

In one case, such a system may include audio players, often referred toas zone players or players, and controllers, which may also be a player.The controllers may be used to control the system, and may includecapabilities for browsing and selecting audio content for playback,viewing and editing audio content in one or more playback queues, orgrouping and ungrouping zone players into one or more listening zones,etc. In a sense, the system may operate as a distributed system suchthat each controller has full control over the entire system, and eachplayer has the ability to play audio content from the either a sameaudio source or a different audio source as another player. Thecontrollers may further be configured to operate as a calibration devicefor the system.

In an example embodiment of the present application, a system isprovided. The system includes at least one playback device renderingaudio content, a microphone configured to detect the rendered audiocontent from a first location relative to the at least one playbackdevice, a signal processor configured to modulate the detected audiocontent with a modulation signal having a modulation frequency, and aprocessing unit in communication with the at least one playback deviceand signal processor. The processing unit is configured to receive themodulated audio content, demodulate the modulated audio content, anddetermine an equalization setting for the at least one playback deviceto render audio content based on an analysis of the demodulated audiocontent.

In another example embodiment of the present application, a device forplayback calibration of at least one playback device is provided. Thedevice includes a microphone configured to detect audio content renderedby the at least one playback device, and a signal processor configuredto modulate the detected audio content for transmission to a processingunit configured to determine an equalization setting for the at leastone playback device.

In yet another example embodiment of the present application, a methodis provided for determining a first distance and direction of a playbackdevice, causing the playback device to render audio content, receiving afirst modulated version of the rendered audio content, and determiningan equalization setting of the playback device based on the firstmodulated version of the rendered audio content, and the first distanceand direction of the playback device.

With device playback calibration implemented on the system, as describedabove, the system may provide optimized playback of audio content byplayback devices, thereby enriching the listening experience of users.

II. An Example Operating Environment

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals can refer to likeparts throughout the figures, FIG. 1A shows an example systemenvironment 100 in which one or more embodiments disclosed herein can bepracticed or implemented.

By way of illustration, system environment 100 represents a homepresently configured with multiple zones, though the home could havebeen configured with only one zone. Each zone in the home, for example,may represent a different room or space, such as an office, bathroom,bedroom, kitchen, dining room, family room, home theater room, utilityor laundry room, and patio. A single zone might also include multiplerooms if so configured. One or more of zone players 102-124 are shown ineach respective zone of the home. A zone player 102-124, also referredto as a playback device, multimedia unit, speaker, player, and so on,provides audio, video, and/or audiovisual output. Controller 130provides control to system environment 100. Controller 130 may be fixedto a zone, or alternatively, mobile such that it can be moved about thezones. System environment 100 may also include more than one controller130. System environment 100 illustrates an example whole house audiosystem, though it is understood that the technology described herein isnot limited to its particular place of application or to an expansivesystem like a whole house audio system environment 100 of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1B shows an example home theater environment 150 including the zoneplayers 116, 118, and 120 as shown in FIG. 1A. The example home theaterenvironment 150 may further include zone players 152, 154, 156 and acouch 158. As shown, the home theater environment 150 may be configuredas a 5.1 surround sound system around a user sitting on the couch 158,such that zone player 116 may be configured to be the front leftspeaker, zone player 120 may be configured to be the center speaker,zone player 118 may be configured to be the front right speaker, zoneplayer 154 may be configured to be the left rear speaker, zone player156 may be configured to be the right rear speaker, and zone player 152may be configured to be the low-frequency subwoofer.

A. Example Zone Players

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C show example types of zone players. Zone players200, 202, and 204 of FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C, respectively, can correspondto any of the zone players 102-124, and 152-156 of FIGS. 1A and 1B, forexample. In some embodiments, audio is reproduced using only a singlezone player, such as by a full-range player. In some embodiments, audiois reproduced using two or more zone players, such as by using acombination of full-range players or a combination of full-range andspecialized players. In some embodiments, zone players 200-204 may alsobe referred to as a “smart speaker,” because they contain processingcapabilities beyond the reproduction of audio, more of which isdescribed below.

FIG. 2A illustrates zone player 200 that includes sound producingequipment 208 capable of reproducing full-range sound. The sound maycome from an audio signal that is received and processed by zone player200 over a wired or wireless data network. Sound producing equipment 208includes one or more built-in amplifiers and one or more speakers. Abuilt-in amplifier is described more below with respect to FIG. 4. Aspeaker or acoustic transducer might include, for example, any of atweeter, a mid-range driver, a low-range driver, and a subwoofer. Insome embodiments, zone player 200 can be statically or dynamicallyconfigured to play stereophonic audio, monaural audio, or both. In someembodiments, zone player 200 is configured to reproduce a subset offull-range sound, such as when zone player 200 is grouped with otherzone players to play stereophonic audio, monaural audio, and/or surroundaudio or when the audio content received by zone player 200 is less thanfull-range.

FIG. 2B illustrates zone player 202 that includes a built-in amplifierto power a set of detached speakers 210. A detached speaker can include,for example, any type of loudspeaker. Zone player 202 may be configuredto power one, two, or more separate loudspeakers. Zone player 202 may beconfigured to communicate an audio signal (e.g., right and left channelaudio or more channels depending on its configuration) to the detachedspeakers 210 via a wired path.

FIG. 2C illustrates zone player 204 that does not include a built-inamplifier, but is configured to communicate an audio signal, receivedover a data network, to an audio (or “audio/video”) receiver 214 withbuilt-in amplification.

Referring back to FIGS. 1A and 1B, in some embodiments, one, some, orall of the zone players 102-124, and 152-156 can retrieve audio directlyfrom a source. For example, a zone player may contain a playlist orqueue of audio items to be played. Each item in the queue may comprise auniform resource identifier (URI) or some other identifier. The URI oridentifier can point the zone player to the audio source. The sourcemight be found on the internet (e.g., the cloud), locally from anotherdevice over data network 128, the controller 130, stored on the zoneplayer itself, or from an audio source communicating directly to thezone player. In some embodiments, the zone player can reproduce theaudio itself, send it to another zone player for reproduction, or bothwhere the audio is played by the zone player and one or more additionalzone players in synchrony. In some embodiments, the zone player can playa first audio content (or not play at all), while sending a second,different audio content to another zone player(s) for reproduction.

By way of illustration, SONOS, Inc. of Santa Barbara, Calif. presentlyoffers for sale zone players referred to as a “PLAY:5,” “PLAY:3,”“CONNECT:AMP,” “CONNECT,” and “SUB.” Any other past, present, and/orfuture zone players can additionally or alternatively be used toimplement the zone players of example embodiments disclosed herein.Additionally, it is understood that a zone player is not limited to theparticular examples illustrated in FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C or to the SONOSproduct offerings. For example, a zone player might consist of a wiredor wireless headphone. In yet another example, a zone player mightinclude a sound bar for television. In yet another example, a zoneplayer can include or interact with a docking station for an Apple iPod™or similar device.

B. Example Controllers

FIG. 3 illustrates an example wireless controller 300 in docking station302. By way of illustration, controller 300 can correspond tocontrolling device 130 of FIG. 1A. Docking station 302, if provided, maybe used to charge a battery of controller 300. In some embodiments,controller 300 is provided with a touch screen 304 that allows a user tointeract through touch with the controller 300, for example, to retrieveand navigate a playlist of audio items, control operations of one ormore zone players, and provide overall control of the systemconfiguration 100. In certain embodiments, any number of controllers canbe used to control the system configuration 100. In some embodiments,there can be a limit set on the number of controllers that can controlthe system configuration 100. The controllers might be wireless likewireless controller 300 or wired to data network 128.

In some embodiments, if more than one controller is used in systemenvironment 100, then each controller may be coordinated to displaycommon content, and may all be dynamically updated to indicate changesmade from a single controller. Coordination might happen, for instance,by a controller periodically requesting a state variable directly orindirectly from one or more zone players; the state variable may provideinformation about system 100, such as current zone group configuration,what is playing in one or more zones, volume levels, and other items ofinterest. The state variable may be passed around on data network 128between zone players (and controllers, if so desired) as needed or asoften as programmed.

In addition, an application running on any network-enabled portabledevice, such as an iPhone™, iPad™, Android™ powered phone, or any othersmart phone or network-enabled device can be used as controller 130. Anapplication running on a laptop or desktop PC or Mac can also be used ascontroller 130. Such controllers may connect to system environment 100through an interface with data network 128, a zone player, a wirelessrouter, or using some other configured connection path. Examplecontrollers offered by SONOS, Inc. of Santa Barbara, Calif. include a“Controller 200,” “Sonos CONTROL,” “Sonos® Controller for iPhone,”“Sonos® Controller for iPad,” “Sonos® Controller for Android, “Sonos®Controller for Mac or PC.”

C. Example Data Connection

Zone players 102-124, and 152-156 of FIGS. 1A and 1B are coupleddirectly or indirectly to a data network, such as data network 128.Controller 130 may also be coupled directly or indirectly to datanetwork 128 or individual zone players. Data network 128 is representedby an octagon in the figure to stand out from other representativecomponents. While data network 128 is shown in a single location, it isunderstood that such a network is distributed in and around system 100.Particularly, data network 128 can be a wired network, a wirelessnetwork, or a combination of both wired and wireless networks. In someembodiments, one or more of the zone players 102-124, and 152-156 arewirelessly coupled to data network 128 based on a proprietary meshnetwork. In some embodiments, one or more of the zone players 102-124,and 152-156 are wirelessly coupled to data network 128 using a non-meshtopology. In some embodiments, one or more of the zone players 102-124,and 152-156 are coupled via a wire to data network 128 using Ethernet orsimilar technology. In addition to the one or more zone players 102-124,and 152-156 connecting to data network 128, data network 128 can furtherallow access to a wide area network, such as the internet.

In some embodiments, connecting any of the zone players 102-124, and152-156 or some other connecting device, to a broadband router, cancreate data network 128. Other zone players 102-124, and 152-156 canthen be added wired or wirelessly to the data network 128. For example,a zone player (e.g., any of zone players 102-124, and 152-156) can beadded to the system environment 100 or home theater environment 150 bysimply pressing a button on the zone player itself (or perform someother action), which enables a connection to be made to data network128. The broadband router can be connected to an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP), for example. The broadband router can be used to formanother data network within the system configuration 100, which can beused in other applications (e.g., web surfing). Data network 128 canalso be used in other applications, if so programmed. An example, secondnetwork may implement SonosNet protocol, developed by SONOS, Inc. ofSanta Barbara. SonosNet represents a secure, AES-encrypted, peer-to-peerwireless mesh network. Alternatively, in certain embodiments, the datanetwork 128 is the same network, such as a traditional wired or wirelessnetwork, used for other applications in the household.

D. Example Zone Configurations

A particular zone can contain one or more zone players. For example, thefamily room of FIG. 1A contains two zone players 106 and 108, while thekitchen is shown with one zone player 102. In another example, the hometheater room contains additional zone players to play audio from a 5.1channel or greater audio source (e.g., a movie encoded with 5.1 orgreater audio channels). In some embodiments, one can position a zoneplayer in a room or space and assign the zone player to a new orexisting zone via controller 130. As such, zones may be created,combined with another zone, removed, and given a specific name (e.g.,“Kitchen”), if so desired and programmed to do so with controller 130.Moreover, in some embodiments, zone configurations may be dynamicallychanged even after being configured using controller 130 or some othermechanism.

In some embodiments, if a zone contains two or more zone players, suchas the two zone players 106 and 108 in the family room, then the twozone players 106 and 108 can be configured to play the same audio sourcein synchrony, or the two zone players 106 and 108 can be paired to playtwo separate sounds in left and right channels, for example. In otherwords, the stereo effects of a sound can be reproduced or enhancedthrough the two zone players 106 and 108, one for the left sound and theother for the right sound. In certain embodiments, paired zone players(also referred to as “bonded zone players”) can play audio in synchronywith other zone players in the same or different zones.

In some embodiments, two or more zone players can be sonicallyconsolidated to form a single, consolidated zone player. A consolidatedzone player (though made up of multiple, separate devices) can beconfigured to process and reproduce sound differently than anunconsolidated zone player or zone players that are paired, because aconsolidated zone player will have additional speaker drivers from whichsound can be passed. The consolidated zone player can further be pairedwith a single zone player or yet another consolidated zone player. Eachplayback device of a consolidated playback device is preferably set in aconsolidated mode.

According to some embodiments, one can continue to do any of: group,consolidate, and pair zone players, for example, until a desiredconfiguration is complete. The actions of grouping, consolidation, andpairing are preferably performed through a control interface, such asusing controller 130, and not by physically connecting and re-connectingspeaker wire, for example, to individual, discrete speakers to createdifferent configurations. As such, certain embodiments described hereinprovide a more flexible and dynamic platform through which soundreproduction can be offered to the end-user.

E. Example Audio Sources

In some embodiments, each zone can play from the same audio source asanother zone or each zone can play from a different audio source. Forexample, someone can be grilling on the patio and listening to jazzmusic via zone player 124, while someone is preparing food in thekitchen and listening to classical music via zone player 102. Further,someone can be in the office listening to the same jazz music via zoneplayer 110 that is playing on the patio via zone player 124. In someembodiments, the jazz music played via zone players 110 and 124 isplayed in synchrony. Synchronizing playback amongst zones allows forsomeone to pass through zones while seamlessly (or substantiallyseamlessly) listening to the audio. Further, zones can be put into a“party mode” such that all associated zones will play audio insynchrony.

Sources of audio content to be played by zone players 102-124, and152-156 are numerous. In some embodiments, music on a zone player itselfmay be accessed and a played. In some embodiments, music from a personallibrary stored on a computer or networked-attached storage (NAS) may beaccessed via the data network 128 and played. In some embodiments,internet radio stations, shows, and podcasts can be accessed via thedata network 128. Music or cloud services that let a user stream and/ordownload music and audio content can be accessed via the data network128. Further, music can be obtained from traditional sources, such as amicrophone, a turntable or CD player, via a line-in connection to a zoneplayer, for example. Audio content can also be accessed using adifferent protocol, such as AirPlay™, which is a wireless technology byApple, Inc., for example. Audio content received from one or moresources can be shared amongst the zone players 102-124, and 152-156 viadata network 128 and/or controller 130. The above-disclosed sources ofaudio content are referred to herein as network-based audio informationsources. However, network-based audio information sources are notlimited thereto.

In some embodiments, the example home theater zone players 116, 118, 120are coupled to an audio information source such as a television 132. Insome examples, the television 132 is used as a source of audio for thehome theater zone players 116, 118, 120, while in other examples audioinformation from the television 132 can be shared with any of the zoneplayers 102-124 in the audio system 100.

III. Zone Players

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown an example block diagram of azone player 400 in accordance with an embodiment. Zone player 400includes a network interface 402, a processor 408, a memory 410, anaudio processing component 412, one or more modules 414, an audioamplifier 416, a microphone 422, and a speaker unit 418 coupled to theaudio amplifier 416. FIG. 2A shows an example illustration of such azone player. Other types of zone players may not include the speakerunit 418 (e.g., such as shown in FIG. 2B) or the audio amplifier 416(e.g., such as shown in FIG. 2C). Further, it is contemplated that thezone player 400 can be integrated into another component. For example,the zone player 400 could be constructed as part of a television,lighting, or some other device for indoor or outdoor use.

In some embodiments, network interface 402 facilitates a data flowbetween zone player 400 and other devices on a data network 128. In someembodiments, in addition to getting audio from another zone player ordevice on data network 128, zone player 400 may access audio directlyfrom the audio source, such as over a wide area network or on the localnetwork. In some embodiments, the network interface 402 can furtherhandle the address part of each packet so that it gets to the rightdestination or intercepts packets destined for the zone player 400.Accordingly, in certain embodiments, each of the packets includes anInternet Protocol (IP)-based source address as well as an IP-baseddestination address.

In some embodiments, network interface 402 can include one or both of awireless interface 404 and a wired interface 406. The wireless interface404, also referred to as an RF interface, provides network interfacefunctions for the zone player 400 to wirelessly communicate with otherdevices (e.g., other zone player(s), speaker(s), receiver(s),component(s) associated with the data network 128, and so on) inaccordance with a communication protocol (e.g., any of the wirelessstandards IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.15). Wirelessinterface 404 may include one or more radios. To receive wirelesssignals and to provide the wireless signals to the wireless interface404 and to transmit wireless signals, the zone player 400 includes oneor more antennas 420. The wired interface 406 provides network interfacefunctions for the zone player 400 to communicate over a wire with otherdevices in accordance with a communication protocol (e.g., IEEE 802.3).In some embodiments, a zone player includes both of the interfaces 404and 406. In some embodiments, a zone player 400 includes only thewireless interface 404 or the wired interface 406.

In some embodiments, the processor 408 is a clock-driven electronicdevice that is configured to process input data according toinstructions stored in memory 410. The memory 410 is data storage thatcan be loaded with one or more software module(s) 414, which can beexecuted by the processor 408 to achieve certain tasks. In theillustrated embodiment, the memory 410 is a tangible machine-readablemedium storing instructions that can be executed by the processor 408.In some embodiments, a task might be for the zone player 400 to retrieveaudio data from another zone player or a device on a network (e.g.,using a URL or some other identifier). In some embodiments, a task mightbe for the zone player 400 to send audio data to another zone player ordevice on a network. In some embodiments, a task might be for the zoneplayer 400 to synchronize playback of audio with one or more additionalzone players. In some embodiments, a task might be to pair the zoneplayer 400 with one or more zone players to create a multi-channel audioenvironment. Additional or alternative tasks can be achieved via the oneor more software module(s) 414 and the processor 408.

The audio processing component 412 can include one or moredigital-to-analog converters (DAC), an audio preprocessing component, anaudio enhancement component or a digital signal processor, and so on. Insome embodiments, the audio processing component 412 may be part ofprocessor 408. In some embodiments, the audio that is retrieved via thenetwork interface 402 or the microphone 422 is processed and/orintentionally altered by the audio processing component 412. Further,the audio processing component 412 can produce analog audio signals. Theprocessed analog audio signals are then provided to the audio amplifier416 for play back through speakers 418. In addition, the audioprocessing component 412 can include necessary circuitry to processanalog or digital signals as inputs to play from zone player 400, sendto another zone player on a network, or both play and send to anotherzone player on the network. An example input includes a line-inconnection (e.g., an auto-detecting 3.5 mm audio line-in connection).

The audio amplifier 416 is a device(s) that amplifies audio signals to alevel for driving one or more speakers 418. The one or more speakers 418can include an individual transducer (e.g., a “driver”) or a completespeaker system that includes an enclosure including one or more drivers.A particular driver can be a subwoofer (for low frequencies), amid-range driver (middle frequencies), and a tweeter (high frequencies),for example. An enclosure can be sealed or ported, for example. Eachtransducer may be driven by its own individual amplifier.

A commercial example, presently known as the PLAY:5, is a zone playerwith a built-in amplifier and speakers that is capable of retrievingaudio directly from the source, such as on the internet or on the localnetwork, for example. In particular, the PLAY:5 is a five-amp,five-driver speaker system that includes two tweeters, two mid-rangedrivers, and one woofer. When playing audio content via the PLAY:5, theleft audio data of a track is sent out of the left tweeter and leftmid-range driver, the right audio data of a track is sent out of theright tweeter and the right mid-range driver, and mono bass is sent outof the subwoofer. Further, both mid-range drivers and both tweeters havethe same equalization (or substantially the same equalization). That is,they are both sent the same frequencies, just from different channels ofaudio. Audio from internet radio stations, online music and videoservices, downloaded music, analog audio inputs, television, DVD, and soon, can be played from the PLAY:5.

IV. Controller

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an example block diagram forcontroller 500, which can correspond to the controlling device 130 inFIG. 1A. Controller 500 can be used to facilitate the control ofmulti-media applications, automation and others in a system. Inparticular, the controller 500 may be configured to facilitate aselection of a plurality of audio sources available on the network andenable control of one or more zone players (e.g., the zone players102-124 in FIG. 1) through a wireless or wired network interface 508.According to one embodiment, the wireless communications is based on anindustry standard (e.g., infrared, radio, wireless standards IEEE802.11a, 802.11b 802.11g, 802.11n, or 802.15). Further, when aparticular audio is being accessed via the controller 500 or beingplayed via a zone player, a picture (e.g., album art) or any other data,associated with the audio and/or audio source can be transmitted from azone player or other electronic device to controller 500 for display.

Controller 500 is provided with a screen 502 and an input interface 514that allows a user to interact with the controller 500, for example, tonavigate a playlist of many multimedia items and to control operationsof one or more zone players. The input interface 514 may be coupled to amicrophone 516 for capturing audio signals, such as audio content orvoice commands as control inputs. The screen 502 on the controller 500can be an LCD screen, for example. The screen 500 communicates with andis commanded by a screen driver 504 that is controlled by amicrocontroller (e.g., a processor) 506. The memory 510 can be loadedwith one or more application modules 512 that can be executed by themicrocontroller 506 with or without a user input via the user interface514 to achieve certain tasks. In some embodiments, an application module512 is configured to facilitate grouping a number of selected zoneplayers into a zone group and synchronizing the zone players for audioplay back. In some embodiments, an application module 512 is configuredto control the audio sounds (e.g., volume) of the zone players in a zonegroup. In operation, when the microcontroller 506 executes one or moreof the application modules 512, the screen driver 504 generates controlsignals to drive the screen 502 to display an application specific userinterface accordingly.

The controller 500 includes a network interface 508 that facilitateswired or wireless communication with a zone player. In some embodiments,the commands such as volume control and audio playback synchronizationare sent via the network interface 508. In some embodiments, a savedzone group configuration is transmitted between a zone player and acontroller via the network interface 508. The controller 500 can controlone or more zone players, such as 102-124 of FIG. 1. There can be morethan one controller for a particular system and each controller mayshare common information with another controller, or retrieve the commoninformation from a zone player, if such a zone player storesconfiguration data (e.g., such as a state variable). Further, acontroller can be integrated into a zone player.

It should be noted that other network-enabled devices such as aniPhone®, iPad® or any other smart phone or network-enabled device (e.g.,a networked computer such as a PC or Mac®) can also be used as acontroller to interact or control zone players in a particularenvironment. In some embodiments, a software application or upgrade canbe downloaded onto a network-enabled device to perform the functionsdescribed herein.

In certain embodiments, a user can create a zone group (also referred toas a bonded zone) including at least two zone players from thecontroller 500. The zone players in the zone group can play audio in asynchronized fashion, such that all of the zone players in the zonegroup play back an identical audio source or a list of identical audiosources in a synchronized manner such that no (or substantially no)audible delays or hiccups could be heard. Similarly, in someembodiments, when a user increases the audio volume of the group fromthe controller 500, the signals or data of increasing the audio volumefor the group are sent to one of the zone players and causes other zoneplayers in the group to be increased together in volume.

A user via the controller 500 can group zone players into a zone groupby activating a “Link Zones” or “Add Zone” soft button, or de-grouping azone group by activating an “Unlink Zones” or “Drop Zone” button. Forexample, one mechanism for ‘joining’ zone players together for audioplay back is to link a number of zone players together to form a group.To link a number of zone players together, a user can manually link eachzone player or room one after the other. For example, assume that thereis a multi-zone system that includes the following zones: Bathroom,Bedroom, Den, Dining Room, Family Room, and Foyer.

In certain embodiments, a user can link any number of the six zoneplayers, for example, by starting with a single zone and then manuallylinking each zone to that zone.

In certain embodiments, a set of zones can be dynamically linkedtogether using a command to create a zone scene or theme (subsequent tofirst creating the zone scene). For instance, a “Morning” zone scenecommand can link the Bedroom, Office, and Kitchen zones together in oneaction. Without this single command, the user would need to manually andindividually link each zone. The single command might include a mouseclick, a double mouse click, a button press, a gesture, or some otherprogrammed action. Other kinds of zone scenes can be programmed.

In certain embodiments, a zone scene can be triggered based on time(e.g., an alarm clock function). For instance, a zone scene can be setto apply at 8:00 am. The system can link appropriate zonesautomatically, set specific music to play, and then stop the music aftera defined duration. Although any particular zone can be triggered to an“On” or “Off” state based on time, for example, a zone scene enables anyzone(s) linked to the scene to play a predefined audio (e.g., afavorable song, a predefined playlist) at a specific time and/or for aspecific duration. If, for any reason, the scheduled music failed to beplayed (e.g., an empty playlist, no connection to a share, failedUniversal Plug and Play (UPnP), no internet connection for an internetRadio station, and so on), a backup buzzer can be programmed to sound.The buzzer can include a sound file that is stored in a zone player, forexample.

V. Playback Device Calibration

As mentioned above, the performance of an audio system may depend on theacoustic behaviors of a room or area in which the audio system isoperating, and accordingly, the listening experience of a user may befurther enriched by adjusting playback volumes and equalizations suchthat the listening experience is optimized at certain locations withinthe listening environment. In some audio systems, the user may beprovided with varying degrees of control over the equalization (such asbass, treble, mid controls or subwoofer sub level controls) to achieve adesired equalization of the audio playback in the particular listeningenvironment. As audio systems become more complex with more specializedspeakers, the user may benefit from automatic or guided calibrations,after which the user may further adjust the settings to individualtaste.

In one example, a calibration device with a microphone may be utilizedfor the automatic or guided calibrations of the audio system. In thiscase, the user may position the calibration device at differentlocations within a playback environment. At each of the positions, theaudio system may render audio content for detection by the calibrationdevice microphone at the location, and a computing device may beconfigured to then process the detected audio content and generate anoptimized equalization setting for audio playback by the audio systemplayback in the playback environment. The calibration process using thecalibration device with the microphone is discussed in further detailbelow in connection to FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 shows an illustrative block diagram of an example method 600 fordevice playback calibration using a calibration device, in accordancewith at least some embodiments described herein. Method 600 shown inFIG. 6 presents an embodiment of a method that could be used in theenvironments 100 and 150 with the systems 200, 202, 204, 300, 400, and500 for example, in communication with a device, such as devicesillustrated in FIGS. 2-5, components of the devices, or a calibrationdevice described in a following section. Method 600 may include one ormore operations, functions, or actions as illustrated by one or more ofblocks 602-616. As shown, blocks 602-608, 612, and 616 may involveactions, and blocks 610, and 614 may involve decisions. Although theblocks are illustrated in a sequential order, these blocks may also beperformed in parallel, and/or in a different order than those describedherein. Also, the various blocks may be combined into fewer blocks,divided into additional blocks, and/or removed based upon the desiredimplementation.

In addition, for the method 600 and other processes and methodsdisclosed herein, the flowchart shows functionality and operation of onepossible implementation of present embodiments. In this regard, eachblock may represent a module, a segment, or a portion of program code,which includes one or more instructions executable by a processor forimplementing specific logical functions or steps in the process. Theprogram code may be stored on any type of computer readable medium, forexample, such as a storage device including a disk or hard drive. Thecomputer readable medium may include non-transitory computer readablemedium, for example, such as computer-readable media that stores datafor short periods of time like register memory, processor cache andRandom Access Memory (RAM). The computer readable medium may alsoinclude non-transitory media, such as secondary or persistent long termstorage, like read only memory (ROM), optical or magnetic disks,compact-disc read only memory (CD-ROM), for example. The computerreadable media may also be any other volatile or non-volatile storagesystems. The computer readable medium may be considered a computerreadable storage medium, for example, or a tangible storage device. Inaddition, for the method 600 and other processes and methods disclosedherein, each block in FIG. 6 may represent circuitry that is wired toperform the specific logical functions in the process.

At action block 602, the method 600 involves initiating calibration fora playback device or playback system. For purposes of illustration, ascenario may involve a user calibrating the audio system in the playbackenvironment 150 shown in FIG. 1B. As shown, the audio system may includethe left front channel speaker 116, the center channel speaker 120, theright front channel speaker 118, the rear left channel speaker 154, therear right channel speaker 156, and the subwoofer 152. The playbackenvironment as shown in FIG. 1B may also include the couch 158 whereusers may sit to enjoy a movie, and locations A, B, and C within theplayback environment 150. In one example, calibration may be initiatedfor the entire audio system, a subgroup of playback devices in thesystem, such as front speakers 116, 118, and 120, or individual playbackdevices such as the subwoofer 152.

In one example, the user may initiate playback calibration via acontroller, such as the controllers 130, 300, or 500 previouslydiscussed. As mentioned above, the controller may be a smart phone, suchas an iPhone™ or Android™ powered phone, or any other or network-enableddevice, such as an iPad™. In another example, the controller may also bethe calibration device with microphone discussed above. Further, due toa readily available user interface and processing capabilities, thesmart phone or network-enabled device may also be configured to guidethe user through the calibration process. For instance, a softwareapplication operating on a smart phone may provide a comprehensivecalibration process, including prompting the user for necessary actionson the part of the user and providing audio content as test signals fordetection. The smart phone may further be configured to perform the dataprocessing and/or signal analysis on the detected audio content forplayback calibration.

In one example, the device may prompt the user to initiate devicecalibration after each time the device or system has been disconnected,which may indicate that the device or system has relocated. In yetanother example, the device may prompt the user to initiate devicecalibration after the user requests a change in preset equalization. Forinstance, the user may have previously selected a preset equalizationfor “Classical Music,” and has selected to change the presetequalization to “Jazz.” In this case, the user may be offered a choicebetween creating a new calibration setting for “Jazz” in the playbackenvironment or having the system automatically adjust the equalizationfor “Jazz,” based on a previous calibration performed for “ClassicalMusic.”

At action block 604, the method 600 involves locating or relocating thecalibration device in the playback environment. In one example, thedevice calibration may be a guided process such that the user may beprompted to move the calibration device to a specific location withinthe playback environment. For example, referring to FIG. 1B, thecalibration process may have been initiated to optimize the movie audioexperience of viewers seated on the couch 158. In this example, theguided process may prompt the user to first locate the calibrationdevice at location A, on the left end of the couch 158. In one case,various calibration processing steps may be performed while thecalibration device is at location A, after which the user may beprompted to relocate the calibration device to location B, on the rightend of the couch 158.

In another example, the user may be seated on the couch 158 at locationC when initiating the calibration process. In one instance, the user maywish to calibrate the system to optimize the audio experience forsomeone sitting exactly where he/she is. In this instance, thecalibration device may be configured to store the location of location Cin the playback environment before proceeding with the playbackcalibration of the playback device or system.

At action block 606, the method 600 involves detecting audio contentrendered by the playback device or system. In one example, the audiocontent rendered for playback calibration may be a favorite trackselected by the user. In another example, the audio content may be aseries of incremental frequencies spanning the audible frequency range.In one case, the audio content may be provided to the playback device bythe calibration device.

In one case in which calibration was initiated for the entire audiosystem or a subgroup of playback devices in the system, each of theplayback devices being calibrated may render audio content all at thesame time for the calibration device microphone to detect from apredetermined location. In one example, calibration for a subgroup ofplayback devices 116, 120, and 118 may involve each playback devicerendering audio content at the same time. In another case in whichcalibration was initiated for the entire audio system or a subgroup ofplayback devices in the system, audio content may be renderedsequentially by each playback device being calibrated, such that thecalibration microphone may detect individually audio content rendered byeach individual playback device from the predetermined location. In oneexample, calibration for the subgroup of playback device 116, 120, and118 may involve playback device 116 rendering audio content first,followed by playback device 120 rendering audio content upon completionof the rendering of audio content by playback device 116, and furtherfollowed by playback device 118 rendering audio content upon completionof the rendering of audio content by playback device 120. In oneinstance, each of the playback devices 116, 120, and 118 may render thesame audio content to provide a consistent frequency response spectrumfor analysis.

At action block 608, the method 600 involves determining equalizationadjustments based on an analysis of the detected audio content. In oneexample, the analysis of the detected audio content may involveevaluating the frequency response spectrum of the detected audiocontent. The evaluation of the frequency response spectrum of thedetected audio content may include consideration for the capabilitiesand specializations of the playback device rendering the detected audiocontent. For example, the frequency response spectrum of detected audiocontent rendered by the subwoofer 152 may include stronger low-frequencyresponses and weaker high-frequency responses.

In addition to the capabilities and specializations of the playbackdevice rendering the detected audio content, the evaluation of thefrequency response spectrum of the detected audio content may alsoinclude considerations for a distance and direction of the playbackdevice from the calibration device. For example, if the calibrationdevice is located at location A, the calibration may anticipate strongersignal strength represented in the frequency response spectrum ofdetected audio content rendered by playback device 116 than that of thefrequency spectrum of detected audio content rendered by playback device118 by virtue of playback device 116 being closer to the calibrationdevice at location A than playback device 118.

Based on the analyses of the frequency responses of the detected audiocontent, corresponding equalization adjustments for each playback devicebeing calibrated may be determined. The equalization adjustments mayindicate specific frequencies that are to be amplified or attenuatedwhen being rendered by the corresponding playback device, such that theaudio content rendered by the corresponding playback device after theadjustments will have a frequency response spectrum substantiallymatching a desired frequency response spectrum. In one case, the desiredfrequency response spectrum may be representative of a presetequalization setting, such as “Jazz” or “Classical Music,” as previouslymentioned.

At decision block 610, the method 600 involves determining whetherequalization adjustments should be made. As discussed above, theequalization adjustments may indicate frequency amplifications orattenuations by a corresponding playback device such that the frequencyresponse spectrum of audio content rendered by the correspondingplayback device will substantially match that of the desired frequencyresponse spectrum. In one example, the determined equalizationadjustments may indicate a number of frequencies or frequency rangesthat are to be amplified, and another number of frequencies or frequencyranges that are to be attenuated. In this case, the method 600 maydetermine at decision block 610 that equalization adjustments are to bemade, and may proceed to action block 612.

At action block 612, the method 600 involves adjusting the equalizationsettings of the one or more playback devices being calibrated. Aspreviously discussed, a system or subgroup of playback device may becalibrated as a whole, or as individual playback devices. Accordingly,the adjustment of the equalization settings may be performed every timea playback device has rendered audio content for detection and analysisby the calibration device, or only after each playback device in thesystem or subgroup being calibrated has rendered audio content fordetection and analysis.

In a further case, the equalization settings may be adjusted firstindividually, and then as a complete system or subgroup of playbackdevices. In other words, each playback device may first be calibratedindependently, before fine-tuning of equalization settings for theplayback devices in the system or subgroup as a whole, to account forpotential acoustic interferences between the different playback devicesin the system or subgroup.

Once the determined equalization adjustments have been made at thecorresponding playback devices, the playback devices may render audiocontent for further detection and analysis as described before inreference to blocks 606, 608, and 610. The loop of blocks 606, 608, 610,and 612 may be continued until, at decision block 610, the method 600determines that the frequency response spectrum of audio contentrendered by the corresponding playback device substantially matches thatof the desired frequency response, and accordingly that no furtherequalization adjustments are necessary. In this case, the method 600 mayproceed to decision block 614.

At decision block 614, the method 600 involves determining whether thecalibration device should be relocated to another location for furthercalibration. As discussed above, the calibration process may have beeninitiated to optimize the movie audio experience of viewers seated onthe couch 158 of FIG. 1B. In this case, the calibration process may beperformed at both location A, on the left side of the couch 158, andlocation B, on the right side of the couch 158. As such, upon completionof equalization adjustments of playback devices with the calibrationdevice at location A, the method 600 may determine that audio contentdetection, frequency response spectrum analysis, and equalizationadjustments still need to be performed with the calibration device atlocation B. In this case, the user may be prompted to relocate thecalibration device to location B. In the case a smart phone is used asthe calibration device, the user may be prompted via a user interface ofthe smart phone to relocate the calibration device. In another case, ifonly one calibration location is necessary, or once calibration stepshave been performed at each of the calibration locations in thelistening environment, then the calibration device does not need to befurther relocated for calibration purposes. In this case, the method 600may proceed to action block 616, where calibration is completed.

At action block 616, the method 600 involves completing the calibrationprocess for the system, subgroup of playback devices, or individualplayback device. In one case, the determined calibration settings foreach calibrated playback device may be stored on the calibration device.In another case, the determined calibration settings for each calibratedplayback device may be transmitted to each corresponding playback devicefor local storage. In one instance, the determined calibration settingsmay be transmitted to the playback device or system wirelessly accordingto a wireless communication protocol previously discussed.

In a real world application, the calibration process may take no longerthan a few minutes and would not need to be repeated unless significantchanges are made to the room arrangement. Further, as discussedpreviously, the calibration process is intended to provide the user witha good system equalization starting point, from which the user can makefurther manual adjustment according to personal preferences.

VI. Microphone Device for Playback Device Calibration

As discussed previously, a smart phone, such as an iPhone™ or Android™powered phone, or any other or network-enabled device, such as an iPad™may be utilized as a calibration device due to the available userinterface and data processing capabilities. In many cases, the smartphone or network-enabled device may also include a built-in microphonewhich may be configured to detect audio content rendered for the purposeof playback calibrations. Further, as applied towards a SONOS system aspreviously discussed, smart phones may already be utilized ascontrollers, and as such may further be configured to be used as acalibration device with minimal hassle or inconvenience to a user. Inthe following discussion, the term “smart phone” will be used torepresent any network-enabled device capable of being utilized as acontroller for an audio system.

In one case, the performance of the playback calibration methoddiscussed above may depend on the consistency of a frequency responsesand frequency sensitivities of a microphone used to detect audio contentfor calibration purposes. In one case, consistency of frequencyresponses and sensitivities may allow the playback calibration processto accommodate for particular audio content detection characteristics ofthe microphone. For instance, for optimal playback calibration oflow-mid frequency audio rendering by a playback device, consistentfrequency responses within the range of around 30 Hz to 1 kHz may bebeneficial. In another instance, a consistent frequency response withinthe range of around 30 Hz to beyond 10 kHz may benefit playbackcalibration of the full audible frequency range rendering by a playbackdevice. In some cases, however, built-in microphones on smart phones donot have consistent frequency responses and sensitivities for optimalplayback calibration.

In one example, a calibration microphone having consistent frequencyresponse and sensitivities within the desires frequency range may beprovided for playback calibration. In one example, the calibrationmicrophone may be coupled to the smart phone via the audio input jack ofthe smart phone. Smart phones, however, may be generally optimized forspeech, and may accordingly be configured to filter out frequenciesbelow 200 Hz, thereby filtering out a portion of the low-frequency audiocontent which may constitute an important component of popular music,and for which playback calibration may be applicable. On the other hand,the frequency response range of the smart phone audio input jack mayextend up to around 10 kHz. In the application of low-mid audiofrequency calibration, this leaves the frequency range of around 1 kHzto around 10 kHz unused and available. In one case, one or morefrequencies within this available range may be suitably utilized, aswill be discussed below.

FIG. 7A shows an illustrative block diagram of an example microphonedevice 700 which may be utilized as a calibration microphone whenconnected to a smart phone or controller as discussed above. As shown,the microphone device 700 includes a microphone 702, a signal processor704, and a modulator 710.

In one example, the microphone 702 may be required to have a certaindegree of frequency response and sensitivity consistency. In one case,as discussed above, the microphone 702 may be required to have aconsistent frequency response within a range of 30 Hz to 1 kHz, suchthat audio content within the range of frequencies may be detectedconsistently.

FIG. 7B shows an illustrative flow diagram of an example method 750 fordevice playback calibration by an example calibration microphone devicesuch as the microphone device 700 of FIG. 7A, in accordance with atleast some embodiments described herein. As shown, method 750 presentsan embodiment of a method that could be used in the environments 100 and150 with the systems 200, 202, 204, 300, 400, and 500 for example, andperformed by a device, such as the calibration device 700 shown in FIG.7A. Method 750 may include one or more operations, functions, or actionsas illustrated by one or more of blocks 752-758. Although the blocks areillustrated in a sequential order, these blocks may also be performed inparallel, and/or in a different order than those described herein. Also,the various blocks may be combined into fewer blocks, divided intoadditional blocks, and/or removed based upon the desired implementation.

At block 752, the method 750 involves detecting audio content renderedby the playback device being calibrated. Continuing with the exampleabove relating to calibration of low-mid frequency range playback, themicrophone 702 of the microphone device 700 may have a consistent, or atleast predictable, frequency response within the frequency range of 30Hz to 1 kHz. As such, the frequency components of the rendered audiocontent within the low-mid frequency range may be sufficiently detectedby the microphone 702.

At block 754, the method 750 involves processing the detected audiocontent. Referring back to FIG. 7A, the signal processor 704 may beconfigured to receive the audio content detected by the microphone 702and perform a degree of signal processing. In one case, the signalprocessor 704 may be configured to improve the signal-to-noise ratio ofthe detected audio content.

Also shown in FIG. 7A, the signal processor 704 may include apreamplifier 706 for amplifying the detected audio content and alow-pass filter 708 for removing high frequency noise components of thedetected audio content, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio ofthe detected audio content. In one case, the detected audio content mayinclude frequency components outside of the low-mid frequency range of30 Hz to 1 kHz. In this case, the signal processor 704 may further beconfigured to filter out frequency components outside of the low-midfrequency range, as these frequency components may not be relevant forlow-mid frequency playback calibration. Along similar lines, thelow-pass filtering may also ensure that the frequency range between 1kHz and 10 kHz remains unused, and available, as discussed above.

After the audio content has been detected by the microphone 702 andprocessed by the signal processor 704, the modulator 710 may beconfigured to modulate the audio content for output. As discussedpreviously, frequency response ranges for the audio input jacks of smartphones may be in the 200 Hz to 10 kHz range. Continuing with the low-midfrequency playback calibration example, the available frequency range ofthe audio input jack may be in the range of around 1 kHz to around 10kHz. In this case, the detected and preprocessed mid-low audio frequencymay then be modulated up into a frequency range within the available 1kHz to 10 kHz range for transmission to the smart phone via the audioinput jack. For instance, the 30 Hz to 1 kHz audio content may bemodulated up into the 3 kHz to 5 kHz range, and provided to the smartphone via the audio input jack.

In one instance, the modulation may be performed by multiplying thepreprocessed audio content by a modulation signal in the time-domain. Inone case, the modulation frequency of the modulation signal may be 4kHz, such that content in the pre-modulated 30 Hz to 1 kHz frequencyspectrum may now exist within a pair of sidebands centered on 4 kHz. Inother words, the audio content may now exist between 4 kHz and 5 kHz, aswell as between 4 kHz and 3 kHz. The presence of both sidebands may bebeneficial by way of providing signal duplicity, such that frequencyresponse variation may be adequately corrected if necessary.

In one example, the modulation signal used for time-domainmultiplication may be provided by a circuit of analog switches andoperational amplifiers included on the microphone device 700. In anotherexample, the modulation signal may be provided by the smart phone. Asdiscussed above, the microphone device may be connected to the smartphone via the audio input jack on the smart phone. In many smart phones,the audio input jack may also be configured to be an audio output jackof the smart phone. As such, the smart phone may be configured toprovide the modulation signal to the calibration microphone device viathe same audio input/output jack.

In addition, depending on the playback frequency range being calibrated,different modulation frequencies may be appropriate. In such a case, thesmart phone being utilized as the calibration device may further beconfigured to determine the proper modulation frequency for playbackcalibration for a certain frequency range, and accordingly provide themodulation signal having the determined modulation frequency formultiplying the audio content by. Along similar lines, different smartphones may have different input frequency response ranges. As such, themodulation frequency may further be determined based on the inputfrequency range of the smart phone. After the preprocessed audio contenthas been modulated, the modulated audio content may then be provided tothe smart phone

At block 758, the method 700 may involve providing the modulated audiocontent for calibration. As indicated above, the modulated audio contentmay be provided to the smart phone via the audio input jack of the smartphone. The smart phone may be configured to, upon receiving themodulated audio content, further modulate the audio content toeffectively de-modulate the audio content, thereby effectivelygenerating the originally detected audio content. In the mid-low audiofrequency example above, the smart phone may be configured to receivethe detected audio content, which has been modulated up to the 3 kHz to5 kHz range from the 30 Hz to 1 kHz range, and further modulate thereceived audio content back down to the 30 Hz to 1 kHz range. In onecase, modulating the received audio content back down to the 30 Hz to 1kHz range may be performed by multiplying the received audio content bythe same 4 kHz modulation signal used to modulate the audio contentpreviously. The smart phone may then proceed to execute the relevantplayback calibration algorithms and processes discussed in the previoussection.

VII. Example Signal Processing for Bass Playback Calibration

To further illustrate the application of a calibration microphone devicesuch as the microphone device 700 of FIG. 7A, the following discussionsin connection to FIGS. 8A to 8C provide an example of the signalprocessing by the calibration microphone for the calibration of lowfrequency “bass” audio content playback.

FIG. 8A shows an illustrative signal flow diagram of an examplemicrophone device 800 for playback calibration. As shown, thecalibration microphone device 800 includes a microphone 802, a signalprocessor 806, a modulator 808, an audio plug 810, and a power supply812. In one example, the microphone 802, the signal processor 806, andthe modulator 808 may be similar in structure and/or function to themicrophone 702, the signal processor 704, and the modulator 710,respectively, of FIG. 7A. In one case, the audio plug 810 may be anaudio plug capable of sending and receiving stereo audio signals.

In a further example, the power supply 812 may be configured to powerthe signal processor 806 and modulator 808. In one case, the calibrationmicrophone device 800 may be powered by the smart phone via the audioplug 810. In this case, if the modulation signal is provided by thesmart phone, as previously discussed, the power signal may be arectified version of the modulation signal, and the power supply 812 maynot be necessary.

Also shown in FIG. 8A are signal paths 803, 807, 809, and 811. Signalpath 803 represents the transmission of the detected audio content fromthe microphone 802 to the signal processor 806. Signal path 807represents the transmission of the preprocessed audio content from thesignal processor 806 to the modulator 808. Signal path 809 representsthe transmission of the modulated audio content from the modulator 808to the audio plug 810.

Signal path 811 represents the transmission of the various signals fromthe smart phone to the calibration microphone device 800 via the audioplug 810. In one example, if the modulation signal is provided by thesmart phone, signal path 811 may provide the transmission of themodulation signal to the modulator 808. In another example, as discussedabove, the modulation signal from the smart phone may be rectified andused to power components. Further, signal path 811 may provide thetransmission of any control inputs from the smart phone to control thecalibration microphone device.

FIG. 8B shows a series of example audio content signals 830 illustratingthe signals transmitted at each of the signal paths 803, 807, 809, and811. The first in the series of example audio content signals 830 is anillustrative audio signal 837 detected by the microphone 802. As shown,the audio signal 837 may be in the form of a basic sine wave. The audiosignal 837 may be transmitted from the microphone 802 to the signalprocessor 806 via signal path 803. For illustration purposes, the audiosignal 837 in this example may be substantially the same after signalprocessing by signal processor 806 for an improved signal-to-noiseratio. As such, an audio signal similar to the audio signal 837 may thenbe transmitted to the modulator 808 via signal path 807.

The second in the series of example audio content signals 830 is anillustrative modulation signal 831 received from the smart phone viasignal path 811. As shown, the modulation signal 831 may be in the formof square waves having a higher frequency than the audio signal 837. Thethird in the series of example audio content signals 830 is anillustrated modulated audio signal 839 produced by the multiplication ofthe audio signal 837 by the modulation signal 831. The modulation audiosignal 839 may then be provided by the modulator 808 to the audio plug810 via the signal path 809. As shown, the modulated audio signal 839may be in the form of a square wave enveloped within a bipolar sinewave. A zoomed-in view 832 of the modulated audio signal 839 provides anillustration of the enveloped square wave.

As previously discussed, the modulated audio signal 839 may be the audiosignal received by the smart phone via the input jack of the smartphone, and may further be demodulated and processed for playbackcalibration of the device rendering the audio signal 837 detected by themicrophone 802.

FIG. 8C shows a series of illustrative audio signals for device playbackcalibration in the time domain and the frequency domain. The series ofexample audio content signals 830 shown and discussed above inconnection to FIG. 8B provides an illustration of audio signals in thetime domain. A different series of example audio content signals 860 isfurther provided as an illustration of the audio signals in thefrequency domain.

As shown, the audio signal 837 may have a wavelength of 25 milliseconds,and therefore has a frequency of 40 Hz. The audio signal 837 may then berepresented in the frequency domain as audio signal 867. Similarly, themodulation signal 831 may have a wavelength of 0.25 milliseconds, andtherefore has a frequency of 4 kHz. The modulation signal 831 may thenbe represented in the frequency domain as modulation signal 861.

Further, the modulated audio signal 839 may be represented in thefrequency domain as modulated audio signal 869. As shown, the, theresulting frequency domain modulated audio signal by convolving theaudio signal 867 and modulation signal 861 results in the two side bandsof 4.96 kHz and 4.04 kHz, centered on the modulation signal frequency of4 kHz as previously discussed.

VIII. Conclusion

As discussed above, systems and methods are provided for device playbackcalibration such that the system may provide optimized playback of audiocontent by playback devices, thereby enriching the listening experienceof users.

In an example embodiment of the present application, a system isprovided. The system includes at least one playback device renderingaudio content, a microphone configured to detect the rendered audiocontent from a first location relative to the at least one playbackdevice, a signal processor configured to modulate the detected audiocontent with a modulation signal having a modulation frequency, and aprocessing unit in communication with the at least one playback deviceand signal processor. The processing unit is configured to receive themodulated audio content, demodulate the modulated audio content, anddetermine an equalization setting for the at least one playback deviceto render audio content based on an analysis of the demodulated audiocontent.

In another example embodiment of the present application, a device forplayback calibration of at least one playback device is provided. Thedevice includes a microphone configured to detect audio content renderedby the at least one playback device, and a signal processor configuredto modulate the detected audio content for transmission to a processingunit configured to determine an equalization setting for the at leastone playback device.

In yet another example embodiment of the present application, a methodis provided for determining a first distance and direction of a playbackdevice, causing the playback device to render audio content, receiving afirst modulated version of the rendered audio content, and determiningan equalization setting of the playback device based on the firstmodulated version of the rendered audio content, and the first distanceand direction of the playback device.

The description discloses various example systems, methods, apparatus,and articles of manufacture including, among other components, firmwareand/or software executed on hardware. However, such examples are merelyillustrative and should not be considered as limiting. For example, itis contemplated that any or all of these firmware, hardware, and/orsoftware components could be embodied exclusively in hardware,exclusively in software, exclusively in firmware, or in any combinationof hardware, software, and/or firmware. Accordingly, while the followingdescribes example systems, methods, apparatus, and/or articles ofmanufacture, the examples provided are not the only way(s) to implementsuch systems, methods, apparatus, and/or articles of manufacture.

Additionally, reference herein to “embodiment” means that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment can be included in at least one example embodiment of theinvention. The appearances of this phrase in various places in thespecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment,nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of otherembodiments. As such, the embodiments described herein, explicitly andimplicitly understood by one skilled in the art, can be combined withother embodiments.

The specification is presented largely in terms of illustrativeenvironments, systems, procedures, steps, logic blocks, processing, andother symbolic representations that directly or indirectly resemble theoperations of data processing devices coupled to networks. These processdescriptions and representations are typically used by those skilled inthe art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to othersskilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth to provide athorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it isunderstood to those skilled in the art that certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure can be practiced without certain, specific details.In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, andcircuitry have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring aspects of the embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of thepresent disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than theforgoing description of embodiments.

When any of the appended claims are read to cover a purely softwareand/or firmware implementation, at least one of the elements in at leastone example is hereby expressly defined to include a tangible mediumsuch as a memory, DVD, CD, Blu-ray, and so on, storing the softwareand/or firmware.

1. A system comprising: at least one playback device rendering audiocontent; a microphone configured to detect the rendered audio contentfrom a first location relative to the at least one playback device; asignal processor configured to modulate the detected audio content witha modulation signal having a modulation frequency; and a processing unitconfigured to: receive the modulated audio content; demodulate themodulated audio content; and determine an equalization setting for theat least one playback device to render audio content based on ananalysis of the demodulated audio content.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the processing unit is configured to determine an equalizationsetting for the at least one playback device based on a frequencyspectrum of the demodulated audio content.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the modulation frequency of the modulation signal for isdetermined based on an input frequency range of the processing unit. 4.The system of claim 3, wherein the modulation frequency is 4 kilohertz.5. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is furtherconfigured to low-pass filter the detected audio content.
 6. The systemof claim 5, wherein the low-pass filtering of the detected audio contentremoves frequency components of the detected audio content above 1kilohertz.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portablecalibration device comprising the microphone and the signal processor,wherein the calibration device is coupled to the processing unit via anaudio input interface of the processing unit.
 8. The system of claim 1,wherein the calibration device is powered by the processing unit via theaudio input interface of the processing unit.
 9. The system of claim 7,wherein the processing unit is configured to determine an equalizationsetting for the at least one playback device based on a distance anddirection between the calibration device and the at least one playbackdevice.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit isfurther configured to transmit the determined equalization setting tothe at least one playback device using a wireless communicationprotocol.
 11. A device for playback calibration of at least one playbackdevice comprising: a microphone configured to detect audio contentrendered by the at least one playback device; and a signal processorconfigured to modulate the detected audio content for transmission to aprocessing unit configured to determine an equalization setting for theat least one playback device.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein thesignal processor is configured to modulate the detected audio content bymultiplying the detected audio content with a modulation signal having amodulation frequency.
 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the modulationfrequency of the modulation signal is determined based on an inputfrequency range of the processing unit.
 14. The device of claim 13,wherein the signal processor is further configured to amplify andlow-pass filter the detected audio content.
 15. A method comprising:determining a first distance and direction of a playback device; causingthe playback device to render audio content; receiving a first modulatedversion of the rendered audio content; and determining an equalizationsetting of the playback device based on the first modulated version ofthe rendered audio content, and the first distance and direction of theplayback device.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: causinga microphone device to detect the rendered audio content; causing themicrophone device to modulate the detected audio content by multiplyingthe detected audio content with a modulation signal having a modulationfrequency.
 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining themodulation frequency of the modulation signal based on an inputfrequency range for receiving the first modulated version of therendered audio content, and transmitting the determined modulationfrequency to the microphone device.
 18. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising demodulating the first modulated version of the renderedaudio content.
 19. The method of claim 15, further comprisingtransmitting the determined equalization setting to the first playbackdevice wirelessly.
 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:determining a second distance and direction of the playback device;causing the playback device to render the audio content; receiving asecond modulated version of the rendered audio content; and determiningan updated equalization setting of the playback device based on thedetermined equalization setting, the second modulated version of therendered audio content, and the second distance and direction of theplayback device.